The Uglier the Produce, The Better For You

photo from Flickr

It's time to show some love to the ugly fruits and veggies. The bruised and misshapen ones. The ones we might overlook at the grocery store or farmers market. Why, you ask? Well there's mounting evidence to show ugly produce develops more healthy antioxidants, and may even taste better.

When apples fight off disease, pests, and other stressors—the cause of unsightly scabs, blisters, and misshapen fruit—they develop more healthy antioxidants, including polyphenols, flavonoids and anthocyanins.

Orchardist and cider-maker Eliza Greenman is passionate about imperfect apples. In a recent sampling in her own orchard, she compared blemished specimens to flawless ones from the same tree and found the ugly fruits were 2 to 5 percent sweeter.

So we issue this challenge to you, dear reader: if you're not already into "produce with personality," the next time you're at a grocery store or farmers market, choose a less-than-perfect fruit or veggie and have a taste test of your own. You may find ugly is more delicious.